CONSOLATION. v.3 Grace and peace were common greeting expressions among Greeks and Jews in the fellowship. “Grace” (charis) was a typical Greek word used in greetings to invoke God's blessing. “Peace” (shalom) was a Jewish term employed in greetings that encompasses not only what is good and blessed but also a state of mind or condition in which we find ourselves. Together, the grace that brings God's favor upon us and the peace that results from grace create a very significant method of greeting.
Grace. That is the overflowing extent of God's great grace to which we are directed. The law exposes the sinfulness of sin, but grace overflows beyond all that the law demands from sinners of every nation, tribe, and family. God's grace is extended to every person worldwide. No matter how deep in sin a person may have gone by nature, God's grace is there for them to embrace. God's grace is available to anyone who repents and accepts the justification by grace that God offers. The results of the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross take us beyond all efforts of a person to reach God by their own means, bringing us into God's presence through His own blood. Not only does He present us to God, but He also keeps us from falling. Sin no longer reigns, leading to physical and spiritual death. Now, grace reigns as king. The kingdom of sin produced death as its consequence, while the kingdom of grace has brought eternal life through the righteousness established by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. This has been given to us as a gift. We are now freed from our condemnation in Adam and from our own personal sins. Our justification has liberated us from all condemnation. It is truly the justification of life. When God works through ordinary people, great things can be accomplished through the power of His word as preached and taught. God is the source of grace and peace; He grants eternal salvation. Everything we need comes from God Himself—the grace necessary for us to fulfill His will. My role in this grace is to ensure I heed what is required to complete every good work set before God’s people so that I can actively participate. God’s grace overflows to meet the needs of others. By using all that God has given me with grace, integrity, and dignity, I am truly blessed. When I draw from the storehouse of God’s abundant grace, I can meet the needs of others. Peace. Peace is love in repose: the spirit of tranquility can be passed on to others. This is what God wants to see in His people. We were set free from sin's dominion when we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We need to "draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to [us]." The peace of God is not a state of mind that comes when we pull ourselves up “by the bootstraps” or unload our inner thoughts to a psychologist. It is characterized by the calmness and tranquility that arise from making peace with God when our sins are forgiven and we have been accepted into God’s family. As family members, we are granted the peace that comes with eternal life and all its marvelous perspectives on life, death, and eternity.
We only grasp a small part of the vast scope of what peace truly signifies due to our limited ability to understand beyond our personal experiences. However, when we converse with our Father and express ourselves and our requests in terms we comprehend, we know He fully understands what we cannot even articulate. His peace, which protects our emotions and thoughts like armed soldiers, reassures us that everything is under divine control, allowing us to find rest in that truth. We will discover we are changed after “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,” which brings us close to the Lord. By making our requests known to God, we intentionally hand over to Him whatever concerns us and entrust those matters to Him to do what He sees fit to accomplish.
Knowing that everything is going the way God intended gives me peace, even though everything around me is upended by the pressures of the world and the unrelenting sin against a believer. That offer of peace is extended to people of faith, who will find that God gives “perfect peace” when their hearts and minds are focused on Him. Their hearts rest because of their implicit trust in God’s plans and purposes, which they know are best. Though we don’t know the extent of all God’s rest, the present peace He has given is enough for me.
When my mind aligns with God’s mind and will, and I walk by faith rather than by sight, the present peace of God illuminates my soul and, hopefully, the things I don’t naturally understand. I know this works beyond my understanding because I have experienced this peace; it is real. The peace of God transcends my natural comprehension. I’m limited by time, intelligence, abilities, and sometimes weak faith, but I know God exists without beginning or end. So, I’ll simply enjoy His peace for what it is and be thankful to experience it with a glad heart and mind.
Inward peace means being at peace with oneself and one's surroundings; this kind of peace exists internally and is not influenced by external forces. A person with this unique peace often displays it on their face and through the calmness of their hands, feet, and spoken words. Their eyes are typically not squinted, their feet are not restless, and they do not speak angrily or quickly. When someone possesses inward peace, they rise above tensions, as they either know what is going to happen next and are prepared, or they trust another individual who controls the unfolding events.
The Lord Jesus Christ understood the outcome of all the events surrounding His life on earth and was at peace. Nothing ever took Him by surprise. His faithfulness to God in every situation provided Him peace, even in His humanity. His understanding of Scripture and the necessity of fulfilling God’s word would have been a source of peace, even when events seemed to spiral out of control. The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ belonged to Him because of who He is. The peace He gives us is ours for the same reason—because of who He is.
It is not typical for humans to have and live a “quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” The peace He gives us comes from our understanding of how future events will unfold in the end. As a result, our hearts are untroubled. Our fears are calmed, and we rest despite the turmoil and agitation around us. His peace is ours. Father, Lord. Additionally, the fact that it comes from two equal Persons of the Godhead who are unified in this matter gives this short letter a powerful and authoritative tone. This is not merely a simple note suggesting something; we must remember that nothing we do in our lives is without value. Everything has its consequences.
I cannot take lightly how I write a letter or read one that addresses biblical truth. Requests made by those who precede me cannot be dismissed or undervalued. Initially, my response to a matter may be one way, but upon reflection and prayerful consideration, I may realize that my first reaction was incorrect. "Grace" indicates there is a full supply of everything I need to address a matter. "Peace" follows prayer, thanksgiving, and putting on all that belongs to the new man. "Then" the peace of God rules in the heart [Col.3:15].
Deep in the heart of a soul-winner lies a concern and love that endure when he thinks of those he led to Christ. He remembers those who listened well and when they claimed salvation, even though we don't know everything they do or even where they might live. The joy shared by both preacher and convert is a blessing that only God can give.
All Christians share the blessing of a common faith. The grace of God alone can save; no works of grace can compare. Our faith is planted on the solid rock of God's inspired word, which then directs us to faith's Supreme Objective, Jesus Christ our Lord.
A man in prison, a slave set free, and a businessman all share this in common: the new life in Christ that each personally received when, by God's grace, He saved them. One man is Jewish, another is Greek, and the last one is from some obscure place. All possess this new nature; the new life grants each one eternal life that is secure.
We see them coming today from different places, blessed with grace and peace. The barriers and conflicts they once had between them have now ceased in Christ. They find their joy and fellowship to be something they highly cherish. Unity and harmony are now nurtured, which would have long ago perished.
“God our Father” has His reasons for allowing physical pain and seemingly unreasonable difficulties, but it's not for me to contend with, fully understand, or even try to defend the actions of life that brought this trouble to pass. What I think is good may be bad in the long run, and what I think is bad may be God’s best for me. I really don’t know, and I’m not going to ask. It is enough for me that His grace has supplied more than enough to keep me satisfied and that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The pain in my body and the pain in my soul are difficult to bear because I feel incomplete. My soul and spirit are sanctified, but my body is not. I struggle to cope with the uncertainty of the future and the failures of the past unless I willingly cast every burden and confusion onto Him whom I love and know loves me. His full, sufficient grace enables me to witness His lovingkindness and tender mercies so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The glory of any achievement or successful work done is God’s from start to finish. God’s grace is fully sufficient under every circumstance to meet every need. God alone determines the provision suitable to fully accomplish His divine will; it is not based on my thoughts or opinions. The power to produce what God intends is fully supplied by Him. Therefore, I put my trust only in Him – that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
The results of a servant’s ministry include lives transformed through the power of God working through his preaching; souls saved from the darkness of sin who are now living in the light of God’s truth; believers whose commitment to God’s word is evident to all who hear them and see their zeal for good works; the ongoing work of God in an area where much labor has been invested; the name and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ honored; and the submission to God’s will by those who have responded to the guidance passed on from the faithful servant. These are THE PROOF OF CHRIST SPEAKING through His servant. This kind of proof cannot honestly be denied.
God reaches out to His people with kindness. His love for them is continuous, deep, and everlasting. The response to God’s great love and redeeming restoration is joyful worship. God’s forgiveness is limitless. He can justly draw us to Himself in love through His grace. Such love is infinite in nature and unmatched in its scope and reality. It is like breathing heavenly air. God “knows them that are His,” and those who belong to Him.
A personal relationship with God begins when a repentant sinner admits their guilt and places personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This relationship does not stem from instruction, but from the new birth and the new nature that God provides us. Then we have a “relationship with God.” The dwelling place of God is not in some tabernacle or temple, but in the hearts of His people. When we say, “Know the Lord,” we are not merely referring to an awareness or a nod of recognition toward the Lord; instead, through obedience and worship, a significant relationship has been formed, maintained, and deepened to the point that anything that interferes with it is immediately rejected.
We are not automatically children of God. To become a child of God, one does so by faith in Jesus Christ. Not all human beings become children of God, and not everyone wants to receive Christ as their personal Savior from the consequences of sin. Becoming a child of God is neither a physical birth nor something we achieve through our own will and power. God’s children are “begotten” by Him through the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
The deity and authority of Christ, even over death, was the critical thing for a Jew to confess. The cross-work of Christ accomplished atonement for sin. Forgiveness is possible because of what He did on our behalf. Atonement for sin forever has been made to God’s entire satisfaction. The message of salvation by grace through faith is as near as believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. He has shown Himself to be the omnipotent RESURRECTED CHRIST. There is gladness and blessing when He shows Himself to be the omnipresent LIVING CHRIST. The Lord has revealed Himself to be the omniscient LOVING CHRIST. We are conscious of the One from whom life is given. Jesus is the Lord from heaven who came to give life and light. "Life" is one part of His nature, as is "Light" that He provides for our spiritual sight. That light shines from Him and on Him, and we can live in its blessings; in turn, we reflect that light. The Light, pure and holy, cannot be extinguished due to His very nature. The Lord Jesus Christ is the “shadowless” Light that leaves no place to hide. When we walk in the light with our Lord Jesus, He illuminates hidden aspects such as grace and peace. We are accountable to God to live according to the light we possess. May our reflected light glorify God and bless those we encounter. Everything belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, from the earth’s core to its mantle, land, and sea. From the fullness of His being, I can draw strength for every hour. For every act of divine initiative, the Father wisely planned, and for the completeness of redemption, the Son paid on Calvary; the Lord Jesus, in His fullness, accomplished. The Holy Spirit has brought God’s blessing here to humanity, and the fullness of the Godhead has made that fullness available to me. There is no limit to the Source of divine fullness; His provision is abundant. It is God in Christ, that One in whom all fullness dwells in a body, who is above and greater than everything and everyone. I have received grace and peace from His fullness. Not only does He give, but His giving will outlast every situation—at His right hand is eternal fullness of joy.